Beverage container

ABSTRACT

Two bottles are enclosed within corresponding cavities in a pair of boot-shaped insulating half shells which are held together by a removable covering. The bottles are disposed at an obtuse angle to one another. At least one of the bottles is flexible and has a squirt cap closure on its open end. The insulating half shells are made of flexible insulating material so that squeezing the half shells together will transmit squeezing forces to the flexible bottle to force fluid out of the squirt cap closure. The other bottle has a relatively large open end and closure for receiving either a liquid or solid articles such as cigarettes, matches, or the like. A shoulder strap is provided for carrying the device.

United States Patent [191 Westrich June 4, 1974 BEVERAGE CONTAINER 126,585 2/l90l Germany 222/129 [75] Inventor: James L. Westrich, Algoma, Wis.

Primary ExaminerStanley H. Tollberg [73] Asslgnee w Net Company Milwaukee Assistant Examiner-James M. Slattery Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Arthur L. Morsell, Jr. [22] Filed: May 24, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 363,762 ABSTRACT 52 ug CL 222 129, 222 175 22 5 w Two bottles are enclosed within corresponding cavi- 222 g3 ties in a pair of bootshaped insulating half shells 51 Int. Cl 867d 5/56 which are held together y a removable covering- The 5 Field f Search 222 75 73 133 129 bottles are disposed at an obtuse angle to one another. 222 10 92 20 2 0 2 5 207 209' 2 2; At least one of the bottles is flexible and has a squirt 20 47 3; 224 5 w 45 A, 49 5 29 3 2 cap closure on its open end. The insulating half shells are made of flexible insulating material so that squeez- 5 References Cited ing the half shells together will transmit squeezing UNITED STATES PATENTS forces to the flexible bottle to force fluid out of the squirt cap closure. The other bottle has a relatively E large open end and closure for receiving either a liq- 1/1964 2:28 "294/3! uid or solid articles such as cigarettes, matches, or the 3111x1573 1/1964 .lohnson fixln........::::::::::. 222/2 12 i A Shoulder Strap is Provided for Carrying the vice.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,670 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 4/l883 Great Britain 222/183 1 BEVERAGE CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a flexible beverage container from which beverages may be squirted through a squirt cap closure. Containers of this general type have been made in the past in the form of a goatskin container that Portuguese shepherds used for carrying wine. Wine was dispensed by raising the container so that the stream of wine that was forced out of the closure by squeezing the flexible goatskin would enter the users mouth. This proved to be a convenient method of carrying and drinking wine.

This type of container was not insulated and hence could not be used for hot liquids such as coffee or cold liquids such as soft drinks. Also, the old goatskin had only one fluid chamber and hence could not be used for drinks requiring two components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, the following objects are attained by providing a flexible bottle preferably having a squirt cap closure, the bottle being enclosed within a pair of flexible, insulating half shells. The arrangement and construction are such that squeezing the half shells together transmits squeezing forces to the flexible bottle and forces fluid out of the squirt cap closure. The half shells are held together by a removable covering which is quickly removable to provide access to the bottles. A second bottle is contained within the half shells and is positioned at an angle to the first mentioned bottle. The second bottle has a relatively large open end and closure for receiving either liquid or solid articles. A shoulder strap is preferably provided for carrying the container.

The principal object of this invention is to provide container that has the convenience of the old goatskin without having its drawbacks.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container in which a flexible bottle having a squirt cap closure is carried and specially arranged within a novel flexible insulated housing whereby squeezing the sides of the housing transmits squeezing forces to the bottle and thus forces fluid out the squirt cap closure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a beverage container wherein a plurality of bottles are enclosed within a pair of flexible insulating half shells which are removably held in assembled position by a readily-removable cover whereby there is easy access to the bottles for cleaning or for other purposes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a container having two bottles which are carried within a common insulated housing and are positioned at an angle to one another.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of several illustrative embodiments thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view showing two housing half shells having cavities therein for receiving two bottles;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the two housing half shells of FIG. 1 held together by a flexible covering;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a shoulder strap for the container shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, part being broken away;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second covering and shoulder strap arrangement for the container of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a third covering for the container of this invention; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of the covering shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS 1-4 and includes two boot-shaped hous ing half shells 10 which each have cavities 12 and 14 that are shaped to receive bottles 16 and 18 respectively. The center lines of bottles 16 and 18 are oriented at an obtuse angle A to one another. The angle A is chosen to give an overall shape for the half shells 10 which is similar to the shape of a traditional goatskin container. An obtuse angle of approximately 1 10 between the center lines of bottles 16 and 18 is used in this embodiment of the invention, althoughit should be understood that larger or smaller obtuse angles could be employed if desired.

Bottle 16 is made of flexible plastic material such as polyethylene or the like and has a squirt cap closure 20 over its open end. The squirt cap closure 20 has a spout 22 which may be pivoted between a closed position shown in solid lines and an open position shown in dashed lines. In its open position, the spout 22 provides an outlet duct through which liquid may be squirted out of the bottle 16. The bottle 18 may be made of any suitable material, either flexible or rigid, and preferably has a relatively large open end and closure 24 so that it can receive either a liquid or solid article such as cigarettes, wooden matches, or the like. The housing half shells 10 are made of a flexible insulating material such as polystyrene foam or the like. The flexible insulating material of half shells l0 insulates the contents of bottles 16 and 18 so that either hot or cold beverages can be carried therein and maintained at the desired temperature over a relatively long period of time. The flexibility of the half shells 10 allows the sides of the flexible bottle 16 to be squeezed together through the walls of the half shells 10 to squirt liquid out of the spout 22 of squirt cap closure 20.

The two housing half shells 10 are removably held together with the bottles 16 and 18 in their respective cavities by means of a suitable removable covering such as the covering 26 in FIGS. 2 and 3. These coverings can be easily removed when it is desired to gain access to the bottles for washing, or for other purposes. Covering 26 is a stretchable knitted fabric sleeve which may be pulled over the housing half shells 10 as indicated by the bunched-up material 28 in FIG. 2. When the bunched-up material 28 is stretched over the corresponding half shells 10, it presents a smooth outward appearance such as indicated in the upper portion of FIG. 3 adjacent to bottle closure 24. The stretchable fabric sleeve 26 is shaped to fit snugly around both ends of the housing half shells l0 and to apply enough pressure thereto to hold the two half shells 10 together. With this type of a covering, a shoulder strap 30 (see FIG. 4) which has two rings 32 and 34, preferably of die cut plastic material, affixed to its opposite ends may be employed to carry the container. The two rings 32 and 34 are dimensioned to be held around the necks of. bottles 16 and 18 under the corresponding closure caps 20 and'24.

FIG. shows a second type of covering 36 and shoulder strap 38 which are preferably made of a suitable material such as a simulated leather material. The covering 36 is tailored to fit snugly around the half shells adjacent to closure and has a laced portion at the other end of the covering adjacent to closure 24. Laced portion'40 is held together by a lace 41. One end of the shoulder strap 38 is attached as a tongue for the laced portion 40 of covering 36, and a ring 42 is attached to the other end of shoulder strap 38. Ring 42 is dimensioned to fit around the neck of bottle 16 under squirt cap closure 20.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a third type of covering in which two half covers 44 and 46 are laced together over half shells 10 by means of laces 48, which may be made of braided nylon or like material. The half covers 44 and 46 may be made of a suitable fabric and the space between half covers 44 and 46 may be covered by a strip of material 50 such as dyed leather which has a contrasting color and texture. A shoulder strap 30 suchas shown in FIG. 4 can be used in combination with this type of covering if desired. Alternately, a shoulder strap 38 such as shown in FIG. 5 may be employed.

In using the above-described embodiments of the invention, the desired liquid is poured into the squeeze bottle 16 through the open end, and the squirt cap closure 20 is then screwed on with spout 22 in the closed position. A second liquid can be poured into bottle 18, or solids such as cigarettes and matches can be placed therein.ln the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the rings 32 and 34 of shoulder strap 30 are placed under the closures 20 and 24 when they are screwed into place to close the open end of the bottles 16 and 18. The container is then carried over the shoulder by shoulder strap 30 or 38 until a drink (or a cigarette) is desired. In the case of bottle 16, the liquid therein is dispensed by first moving spout 22 of squirt cap closure 20 into its open position as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 1. The container is then lifted until the liquid in bottle 16 is above the level of squirt cap closure 20 and simultaneously the spout 22 is aimed at the users open mouth or at the glass into which the liquid is to be poured. The sides of the half shells 10 are then squeezed together to force the liquid out through the squirt cap spout 22. After enough liquid has been forced out of squirt cap spout 22, the squeezing force is released and the container is tilted down until the liquid therein is below the level of squirt cap closure 20. This terminates the flow of liquid. The squeeze cap spout 22 is then moved to its closed position as shown by solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Liquid is dispensed from the bottle 18 by tilting the container until the closure cap 24 is upright so that it can be removed without spilling any of the liquid, which is then poured out of the opened bottle in the conventional manner. Solid objects such as cigarettes and matches can be removed from the bottle 18 with the fingers or can be shaken out. Closure cap 24 is replaced after the desired amount of liquid or solid contents is removed from bottle 18.

The novel beverage container provides for easy access to and removal of the bottles for periodic washing. This is due to the fact that the two insulating half shells serve to hold the bottles in position with the half shells therein held in assembled relationship by the outer covering. In all forms of the invention the outer covering is readily removable to permit separation of the half shells and access to the bottles.

The improved beverage container is highly ornamental and may be used at parties, may be taken to football games, on hikes, and on cycle or camping trips. It is also very handy while snowmobiling or while skiing, and it may serve to keep objects such as cigarettes and matches dry if they are inserted in the small, large mouthed bottle. The improved article will add to the enjoyment of any activity such as a picnic, or any type of trip. It may be used for a wide variety of beverages, either hot or cold. Liquids which may be carried and dispensed from the container include wine, water, beer, soft drinks, soup, coffee, tea and milk.-

Because of the dual bottles, liquor may be carried in the small bottle and a mix such as water or soda may be carried in the other bottle. It is also entirely practical to have two different ingredients for mixing cocktails, the principal ingredientbeing in the large bottle and another ingredient being in the small bottle. In cold weather the insulating half shells will prevent freezing of freezable liquids, and in hot weather, the insulating half shells will keep beverages cold. It is to be noted that the insulated covering is arranged to keep the two bottles out of contact. Thus it is even possible to have hot liquid in one container and a cold liquid in the other container. The two half shells 10, which are preferably formed of a foamed plastic material such as foamed polystyrene, are specially constructed in conjunction with the shape of the large bottle 16-so that the half shells provide a moderately firm article while still providing for flexing action in a location which permits squeezing of the large bottle 16. This is accomplished by having the large bottle 16 arranged with its broad sides fitting the recesses of the insulating half shells. The walls of these recesses where the squeezing will take place are approximately 4 inch thick. This is thick enough to provide desired protection while, at the same time, permitting flexing of the broad sides of the plastic half shells in response to pressure exerted in approximately the location P in FIG. 2, this flexing being transmitted to the broad sides of the bottle 16 to cause the desired squeezing action.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

l. A beverage container comprising a pair of complementary insulating half shells formed of flexible insulating material, said half shells being dimensioned to meet along a joint line extending around the periphery of the container intermediate the thickness thereof, and each half shell being generally boot-shaped and having a relatively large main portion and a small portion extending at an angle therefrom, a cavity in each small portion with a neck channel at one end of the half shell providing external communication, a large cavity in the large main portion having a neck channel at the opposite end of the half shell providing external communication, a large bottle accommodated partly in the large cavity of one of the half shells and partly in the large cavity of the other half shell and having an externally projecting neck extending through the adjacent neck channel, a

small bottle accommodated partly in the small cavity of one half shell and partly in the small cavity of the other half shell and having an externally projecting neck extending through the adjacent neck channel, and a removable flexible covering snugly enclosing said half shells and holding the latter in assembled relationship, said covering having openings at opposite ends from which the necks of the bottles project said large bottle having a squirt cap closure and having flexible sides and the material of the half shells which is adjacent said flexible sides of the large bottle being thin enough to permit flexing of the bottle when the half shells are squeezed to cause squirting from the closure.

2. A beverage container as claimed in claim 1 in which the covering forms the principal means for maintaining the half shells in assembled relationship with respect to the bottles.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which there is an exteriorly accessible removable cap for the neck of each bottle and in which there is a shoulder strap having a ring on at least one end which is of a size to fit over the neck of one of the bottles at one end of the container and be detachably maintained in place by said removable cap, the other end of said strap being connected to the opposite end of the container.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3 in which there is an end ring at both ends of the shoulder strap, one of which is of a size to fit over the neck of one of the bottles at one end of the container and be detachably maintained in place by the removable cap and the other of which is of a size to fit over the neck of the other bottle and be detachably maintained in position for the cap of the other bottle.

5. A beverage container as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a shoulder strap having one end attached to the container near the neck of one bottle and having the other end attached to the container near the neck of the other bottle whereby the manipulation of a selected end of the strap will bring a selected bottle into position for use. 

1. A beverage container comprising a pair of complementary insulating half shells formed of flexible insulating material, said half shells being dimensioned to meet along a joint line extending around the periphery of the container intermediate the thickness thereof, and each half shell being generally bootshaped and having a relatively large main portion and a small portion extending at an angle therefrom, a cavity in each small portion with a neck channel at one end of the half shell providing external communication, a large cavity in the large main portion having a neck channel at the opposite end of the half shell providing external communication, a large bottle accommodated partly in the large cavity of one of the half shells and partly in the large cavity of the other half shell and having an externally projecting neck extending through the adjacent neck channel, a small bottle accommodated partly in the small cavity of one half shell and partly in the small cavity of the other half shell and having an externally projecting neck extending through the adjacent neck channel, and a removable flexible covering snugly enclosing said half shells and holding the latter in assembled relationship, said covering having openings at opposite ends from which the necks of the bottles project said large bottle having a squirt cap closure and having flexible sides and the material of the half shells which is adjacent said flexible sides of the large bottle being thin enough to permit flexing of the bottle when the half shells are squeezed to cause squirting from the closure.
 2. A beverage container as claimed in claim 1 in which the covering forms the principal means for maintaining the half shells in assembled relationship with respect to the bottles.
 3. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which there is an exteriorly accessible removable cap for the neck of each bottle and In which there is a shoulder strap having a ring on at least one end which is of a size to fit over the neck of one of the bottles at one end of the container and be detachably maintained in place by said removable cap, the other end of said strap being connected to the opposite end of the container.
 4. A container as claimed in claim 3 in which there is an end ring at both ends of the shoulder strap, one of which is of a size to fit over the neck of one of the bottles at one end of the container and be detachably maintained in place by the removable cap and the other of which is of a size to fit over the neck of the other bottle and be detachably maintained in position for the cap of the other bottle.
 5. A beverage container as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a shoulder strap having one end attached to the container near the neck of one bottle and having the other end attached to the container near the neck of the other bottle whereby the manipulation of a selected end of the strap will bring a selected bottle into position for use. 